Eye for shoes, &amp;c.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

J. P. BROOKS. BYE FOR SHOES, 6w. APPLICATION-FILED MAR. 22. 1907.

INVENTOR Q Al/ome I 1: NORRIS PETERS cm. wasmucron. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EYE FOR SHOES, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application filed March 22, 1907. Serial No. 363,901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eyes for Shoes, 860., and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use same, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this s ecification.

This invention re ates to new and useful improvements in lacing eyes for shoes, uppers, and lacings for various articles of apparel, and consists essentially in the provision of a series of eyes made of a single piece of wire which is bent into two distinct coils, which are in registration with each other and forming together a conveXed bearing surface for the lacing, allowing the latter to slide freely therethrough.

The invention consists further in the provision of an eye made of a single piece of wire having a plurality of coils in. registration with each other and so arranged that the bearing surface for the lacing will be conveXed to offer as little friction as possible to the lacing as it is drawn through the eye, and in the provision of means upon the eye to be engagedby a rivet or other fastening device, whereby the eye may be securely held to the upper of a shoe or other article to which the eye may be attached.

More specifically, the invention consists of an eye made of a single piece of wire which is bent at its longitudinal center to form a loop, each strand of the wire then being turned I into a coil which are practically continuous and in registration with each other, forming an inclosed conveXed bearing surface against which a lacing slides, the ends of the wire projecting from the coils and cooperating with the loop to form means engaged by the fastening device for securely holding the eye in place.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a pers ective view of a shoe showing my improve eyes secured thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of one of the 1 eyes, showing the fastening llIlg the same to a shoe.

means for secur- Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of an eye, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1. Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates an eye which is made preferably of a piece of steel wire of proper gage which is bent to form a loop A at its longitudinal center. Each strand of the wire is then bent to form a coil B, which coils are in registration with each other, with their adjacent ends in contact with each other or nearly so. Said coils are disposed either at slight angles to each other or are both arranged on the arc of the same circle, so that a lacing passing through the two coils will have a conveXed bearing surfaoe,whereby a lacing may be drawn through the same freely without unnecessary friction.

Each end of the wire is bent laterally and eXtends preferably the length of the loop formed at the longitudinal center of the wire, and each of said coils, it will be noted, is slightly flattened in order that the eyes wi 1 not project any farther from the surface of the upper of the shoe to which it is attached than need be, and also afford means whereby lacings of various styles may freely draw through the same. The eyes are shown in the drawings as being fastened to the upper of the shoe by means of rivets E, the shank portions of which pass through the loops and also between the ends of the wire, and when the rivets are clenched, the eye will be securely held in place.

It will be noted that the eyes are shown as being positioned preferably opposite each other in pairs adjacent to the edges of the uppers and that the lacing passing through the various eyes may be drawn into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by simply taking hold of the longitudinal center of the lacing and drawing the up ers to be readily opened. To tighten the lacing, the edges to which the eyes are fastened may be drawn together by simply pulling upon the ends of the strings, and by tying the ends of the lacings, when thus drawn, the edges will be held together.

While I have shown my improved eye as being applied to the uppers of a shoe, it will be understood, of course, that the eye may same through the eyes, thereby allowing thebe utilized equally as well in connection with the two coils being in contact with each leggings or garments of Various kinds in which lacings are employed.

What I claim is A lacing device for shoes, leggings, etc., made of a single piece of wire which is bent upon itself to form an eye at its longitudinal center, the shank portions of the edge being strai ht and in contact with each other, each shanl portion being turned into a coil having a plurality of convolutions, the inner ends of other and at inclinations one to the other, the ends of the Wire each projecting at an angle from the outer end of the coils and extending 15 under the eye, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN P. BROOKS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. HoUGH, WFT LTNGTON S. WILKINSON. 

